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LAKE PLACID, N.Y.—This season’s penultimate luge World Cup was full of surprising results for international athletes and all too familiar ones for Canadian sliders.

There were no Germans on the men’s podium — a first in more than two years — and only one on the women’s podium. Germans routinely dominate men’s and women’s singles, with multiple athletes in the top three.

Alex Gough, Canada’s most successful luge athlete, slid her way to another podium finish — a bronze this time — while the rest of the top Canadians finished just off the podium.

That leaves Sam Edney and doubles team of Tristan Walker and Justin Snith with just one race left to try and win a medal for the first time.

“I’m really happy with my result,” said Gough, who has 10 career World Cup medals. “I really fought for it on the second run and I think it paid off.”

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Edney, Canada’s top male slider, was in contention for a podium until he lost time on the final corner, sliding into 6th place Saturday.

Walker and Snith were fourth in their doubles event Friday and fourth again Saturday as part of the three-sled team relay.

That’s an event that the Calgary-based team has had success with, including a silver medal at the world championships in Whistler last weekend.

“This shows us a podium isn’t a sure thing in the relay,” said Edney. “We are going to regroup and get at it in a couple of weeks in Sochi, which is the best test,” he said, referring to the Olympic test event and final World Cup of the season.

Edney, the veteran of the team at 28, said he’s hoping for a strong result in men’s singles in Sochi, too.

“I’m close to being where I want to be and I won’t stop pushing,” he said. “This is just motivating me to go further.”

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